Beginning to believe my Angel Babies are watching over us

Yesterday started off like a normal Saturday - sleeping in a bit later, sharing breakfast, playing.

Hubby and his dad took Chris to get a haircut (his sixth in two years, but they always feel like his first because he screams, kicks and struggles through the whole thing). He came home with a wonderful haircut, and the remnants of strawberry icecream on his face and coat. He was spent and took a nap quickly.

Then, after lunch, we headed out to M&J's house for M's birthday - E&T from previous posts would be there as well, and all three of our children. We BBQ's, talked, played - the usual for when we get together. But, around 7 pm, Chris was getting tired and before he got super cranked, we decided it was time to head home. We gathered our things up - which took a lot longer since everything was scattered all over the place - bucked Chris in the car, and we headed on our way to Route 78...

About two minutes after we got on to Route 78 East, all three lanes came to a dead stop. No warning, no slow down before it - a complete stop. Then, a parade of ambulances, firetrucks, State Police began on the shoulder of the road, and in the distance you could begin to hear a helicopter - Northstar was enroute as well. Everyone in New Jersey knows that, if the traffic comes to a complete stop and you see Northstar, the accident was NOT going to be "pretty." There we stood, everyone in their cars, from 7:15 pm until well past 8:15 pm, windows open, music playing, people talking to each other or on cell phones. As for us, we had a great time playing with Chris - we freed the piggies from the stuffy shoes he was wearing, turned up Bruce Springsteen, and had a grand 'ol time. He did very well through it all - no fussing, no cranking.

Finally, around 8:30 pm, traffic started creeping forward and we came up to the crash site rather quickly, as it was about a 1/4 mile ahead - not that far ahead of us! We had no idea it was that close.

We came up to it and it really was a terrible mess: a minivan, facing the Westbound direction, on it's roof, the cabin area crunched into the asphalt; a Blazer-like small SUV on it's side with the back axel completely sheered off the car; medical remnants all over the roadway from where they were treating the people hurt. I can't imagine that everyone made it in that crash - it was just too gruesome of a crash.

Hubby and I said our prayers...we had to. All we could think of is that, had it taken a few less minutes to clean up Chris' toys, we could have been right in the middle of this. I do believe our Angels were watching up last night...delaying us a few moments to buy us some time, to miss being in this accident. This is the first time I have felt them so near - so close to all of us. And, I am so grateful.

We kept our promise this morning - went to Church again, 3 weeks in a row. Didn't realize the 9:30 am mass would be when the children of the parish made their First Communion. Watching all of those young kids, all in white, could only make me pray that any kids involved last night were okay. On the way out of Church today, Hubby and I, unbeknownst to each other, lit candles for those in the accident and for our angels...

Whomever reads this post, please pray for those people last night...no matter the cause of that accident, we pray all are okay today.